With the drive for alternate fuel vehicles and hybrid vehicles that operate on both fossil fuel power and on electric power, the number of such vehicles in use on the highway has grown significantly and it is anticipated that this growth in their numbers will continue for some time into the future. Thus, drivers in the United States and around the world can expect to encounter many more of these vehicles in their day to day travels.
However, it has been observed by the present inventor that the behavior of other drivers coupled with somewhat different operational characteristics can present safety issues that have not heretofore been present. Many drivers are clearly very much unaccustomed to sharing the road with hybrid or totally electric vehicles. The drivers of hybrid and totally electric vehicles are very likely to have purchased them for their excellent fuel economy (typically as measured in miles per gallon or the equivalent in terms of dollars per mile). As such these drivers are likely to be found driving in modes which tend to minimize fuel use. Such drivers are unlikely to engage in driving habits that include such behaviors as jack rabbit starts, rapid acceleration, passing, rapid uphill velocity or similar behaviors that negatively impact fuel economy.
The present inventor has observed that this behavior on the part of the drivers of hybrid and totally electric vehicles, is not always fully understood or appreciated by the drivers of conventional vehicles. The drivers of conventional vehicles tend to tailgate the “unconventional” vehicles leading to dangerous and risky situations. For example, when going uphill, the drivers of hybrid and totally electric vehicles tend to go slowly and are not likely to attempt to speed up even when “urged” to do so by the tailgating behavior of the driver of a conventional vehicle. Such situations present a safety hazard which is ameliorated by providing an indication to the tailgating driver that the vehicle is being operated in electric mode. It thus becomes communicated to the other driver that the vehicle in front is not apt to be going any faster. The present invention provides this signal.
Furthermore, it is well known that electric and hybrid vehicles have a positive impact on the environment in that they produce fewer atmospheric pollutants, including fewer green houses gasses such as carbon dioxide (CO2). Manufacturers of such vehicles thus enjoy a public relations and good will advantage in the manufacture and sale of such vehicles. Additionally, having an exterior indication that the vehicle is being operated on electric power is thus seen to provide bragging rights to the users, distributors, importers and manufacturers of such vehicles. As more and more drivers become aware of the growing prevalence of electric and hybrid vehicles, a standard indication, such as the display of an array of blue LED lights in the form of the letter “E” will hopefully grow into being appreciated as a form of status symbol, not in terms of wealth but in terms of being ecologically friendly.